Today marks the start of a new year according to the Islamic calendar. The Islamic calendar is lunar based, unlike the Gregorian calendar which is solar based, as you probably already know. Like most countries in the world Malaysia uses the Gregorian calendar, but Islamic events are observed according to the Islamic calendar. One of the characteristics of a purely lunar based calendar is that a year is about 10 days shorter than its Gregorian counterpart. This means that even though this year - 1429 - starts in January, 1430 will already start on December 29th. It also means that the Gregorian dates for the two Eid celebrations are not the same every year.
And did you know that every year the people of Malaysia mark New Year 3 times? This year it happens in the space of less than 6 weeks: January 1st, January 10th, and February 7th. The latter will mark the start of the Year of the Rat according to the Chinese calendar.

Idag er det starten på et nyt år i følge den islamiske kalender. Den islamiske kalender er månebaseret i modsætning til den gregorianske som jo bekendt er solbaseret. Som de fleste andre lande i verden bruger Malaysia den gregorianske kalender, men islamiske mærkedage beregnes efter den islamiske kalender. En rent månebaseret kalender adskiller sig fra sin solbaserede kollega ved at være ca. 10 dage kortere. Det betyder at det er islamisk nytår igen allerede den 29.december 2008, og at datoerne for de vigtigste islamiske højtider, nemlig de 2 Eid’er, ikke ligger fast på samme tid af året, som f.eks. julen gør det. Vidste du i øvrigt at man i Malaysia kan holde nytår 3 gange om året? Denne gang endda i løbet af kun 6 uger: d. 1.januar, d. 10.januar og d. 7.februar. Sidstnævnte er datoen for det kinesiske nytår.

Tags: calendar, islam, kalender, Malaysia

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Since there were no takers the first time around I’m trying again, and hope that this time someone would like to gift along with me.
Here are the guidelines again:
“I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.”

Da der ikke var nogen aftagere første gang, prøver jeg igen, og håber på at der er nogen der vil gave med denne gang. Her er reglerne igen:
“Jeg lover at sende en hjemmelavet gave til de første 3 personer, som skriver en kommentar her, og som vil være med til at sende gaver på vandring. Jeg ved endnu ikke hvad gaven vil være og jeg kan ikke love at du får den i morgen eller i næste uge, men du får den inden der er gået 365 dage - det lover jeg! Det eneste jeg beder dig om at gøre til gengæld, er at du selv sender 3 gaver på vandring ved at give det samme løfte på din egen blog.”

Tags: gaver på vandring, pay it forward, PIF

The key to improving survival from cancer is early detection. Personally I’m not convinced that regular screenings or breast self-examinations are necessarily the most important means to this end, but I still went ahead and had my first mammogram on Saturday. Here are the first and only pictures you’ll ever see of my unclothed right breast:

Having the x-rays taken were not really painful, but somewhat uncomfortable. Nothing abnormal, though an ultrasound revealed a small water cyst in my right breast. I also had a pap smear done. It was quick and painless. No need for a special gown or stirrups either.

You may wonder why I would have the mammogram and post this if I am not convinced of the benefits of regular screening. I had the mammogram because I am at raised risk for breast cancer. Having weighed the cons and pros of screening and my responsibilities as a mother of 4 under-aged children I decided this decision was right for me. Under different circumstances I would probably haven chosen differently. Mostly I am posting this in order to encourage you educate yourself about cancer, because what you don’t know could hurt you or someone you care about. Cancer can strike anyone. It has no regard for colour, faith or social status. Please, if you don’t know already, please find out about the risk factors, symptoms and screening methods for cancers such as breast cancer, cervical cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, rectal cancer, skin cancer (melanoma), prostate cancer and uterine cancer. Make sure you get your information from a variety of sources so that you can make truly informed decisions.
But, I am also posting this to tell you that if you do believe in the benefits of screening then you shouldn’t let worry or fear about the procedures hold you back.

This post is specially dedicated to Anne, DH, Else, Erna, Far, Farmor, Gurli, Gustav, Henning, Inge, Jeanne, Lynda, Marianne, Mor, Nete, Niels, Svend, Svend Åge and Tove. To some in loving memory, to others in grateful appreciation that they are still here.

Tags: cancer

Irene extended an invitation to join a crafty exchange and I decided to accept. Here are the guidelines in English:
“I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.”
First 3 to leave a comment and post an invitation on their own blog, will receive a handmade gift from yours truly.

Jeg vandrer efter Irene - og retningslinjerne er:
“Jeg lover at sende en fin hjemmelavet gave til de første 3 personer, som skriver en kommentar her, og som vil være med til at sende gaver på vandring. Jeg ved endnu ikke hvad gaven vil være og jeg kan ikke love at du får den i morgen eller i næste uge, men du får den inden der er gået 365 dage - det lover jeg! Det eneste jeg beder dig om at gøre til gengæld, er at du selv sender 3 gaver på vandring ved at give det samme løfte på din egen blog.”
Læg en kommentar hvis du har lyst at være med!

Tags: gaver på vandring, pay it forward, PIF

I wasn’t really planning on posting pictures, but since Rain asked, here she is. These pictures were taken a couple of days after we found her.

Tags: snowy

Yesterday DH and I attended the Seventh Tun Razak Lecture on “The West and Islam: Rethinking Orientalism and Occidentalism” by Professor Dr. Carl W. Ernst. DH was invited as he is OU alumni and got permission for me to tag along. It was very interesting, especially because some of what he said is stuff I have been thinking myself - except I obviously don’t say it as well as he did. But I have often wondered at the whole Islam versus the West thing. It may sound simple enough, but as a Muslim with Western roots I know that it isn’t. Because what exactly is “the West” and what exactly is Islam? Neither is a uniform and unvarying entity.

I går fik jeg hjernemad til frokost. Var til en forelæsning af Professor Dr. Carl W. Ernst med titlen “The West and Islam: Rethinking Orientalism and Occidentalism”. Den var meget interessant for mig fordi han talte om et emne som jeg selv har tænkt en del over, nemlig den evindelige opstillling af “islam mod vesten”. Det lyder jo enkelt nok - og er det tilsyneladende for mange, men som muslim med vesterlandske rødder er jeg meget bevidst om at det er det ikke. For ingen af de 2 størrelser er jo een stor homogen masse.

Tags: islam

Why?

Tags: blog reads

Og sørme om ikke det er fødselsdag igen! Idag sender vi et stort tillykke og mange ønsker om alt godt på dagen til Bedstefar!

Mrs Richards har fødselsdag i dag, og vi sender mange ønsker om en dejlig dag. Og om gode gaver, selvfølgelig
Og så ville vi i øvrigt ønske at det var os der skulle have chocoladelagkage med banan!